Automotive manufacturers face a need for lighter cars as governmental forces are seeking higher mileage per gallon standards for new cars. Manufacturers are also interested in having materials which can be reused or recycled to be used as components within the car.
Thermally-bonded polyester fiber structures are well known for use in furnishings such as mattresses, chairs and car seats where high support and durability are required. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,668,562 and 4,753,693. One advantage of using such polyester fiber structures is that they can be depolymerized into basic monomers by known methods, such as methanolysis, for reuse. Polyester fibers can also be directly recycled as raw materials for new parts.
A typical five passenger vehicle contains twenty pounds of polyurethane foam for seating while molded seats using the present invention weigh 14 pounds, a savings of thirty percent for equivalent performance.
Heretofore, batch processes have been used to mold cushions for use as a car seat. In automotive applications, however, production runs are continuous and extended. Processes have to be cost effective and involve a minimum amount of labor and time per part. Prior inventions have focused on methods to fill a mold effectively. There has been no method, however, which will completely automate the process of manufacture of recyclable seat cushions for automobiles in a cost effective and time efficient manner.